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Pinnacle Foods Fort Madison Celebrates a Day Dedicated to Sustainability

Sustainability Team educates and engages employees with program designed to reduce, recycle and reuse, targeting zero waste

FORT MADISON, Iowa (April 25, 2013) – Pinnacle Foods’ Fort Madison, Iowa manufacturing facility celebrated their sustainability initiatives on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 with displays and presentations to educate and engage the plant’s employees on methods to reduce, recycle and reuse waste. The program showcased the role that each employee can play in sustainability, making a difference for the benefit of the business, as well as for our planet and future generations.

“We’ve made a commitment to reduce our waste towards zero and it’s clear that our work is paying off,” said Bryan Langerud, Plant Manager at Pinnacle Foods’ Fort Madison facility. “Only by involving all of our employees in initiatives to recycle, reduce and reuse waste can we reach our goal. We certainly appreciate all of the support our partners gave us in making our Sustainability Day a success. The exposure to the many ways that folks can make a difference in sustainability was extremely well received by our employees.”

Pinnacle Foods’ Fort Madison facility has reduced its use of energy through efficiency improvements in the facility’s lighting, steam and compressed air systems, among other technology upgrades. Since the energy efficiency initiative started, the plant has earned approximately $450,000 in rebates from Alliant Energy, in addition to reducing electricity costs by more than $1 million over the past five years.

Mirroring the success of the energy efficiency program, the Fort Madison plant is increasing its recycling and reuse of corrugated cardboard, plastic and solid waste. City Carton and Republic Services (Allied Waste), Pinnacle Foods’ sustainability partners, continue to assist the plant in their efforts to find new uses for spent corrugate and plastics.

“The best way to improve sustainability is, first, to find ways to decrease our usage, and then to follow up with a process to recycle or reuse waste, making a positive impact on our environment,” said Dick Beaird, Maintenance and Engineering Manager at Pinnacle’s Fort Madison plant. “Pinnacle’s efforts to find promising new uses for current waste by-products, as well as recycling paper, cardboard and plastic, also benefits the Great River Regional Waste System by reducing the amount of solids, papers, cardboards and plastics going to the local landfill.”

Pinnacle Foods’ Fort Madison Sustainability Team thanked and recognized their partners and event participants for presenting at the Sustainability Day event and for continuing to support Pinnacle’s sustainability initiatives: